[Metastases--with no end in sight. I. Clinical and experimental pathology]

In the recent century research in cancer metastasis has greatly improved; nowadays it is a superior topic in cancer literature. Most of its problems result from alternate assumptions: The functional seed and soil and the hemomechanic hypothesis, after all putting two questions on account of metastasis being either a permanent likewise passive or a cascade phenomenon. In regard of metastasizing bronchial-, breast- and prostate carcinomas or multifocal tumors and most of rodent neoplasms a passive tumor cell transport might be a single effect, but the characteristic feature rather a step by step metastasizing cascade, implicating special organ localizations, and the fact, that metastasis distribution correlates with tumor biology, localization of the first metastasis and in manifold metastasizing tumors with typical organ patterns. From introduction of recent in vitro and cloning-techniques the metastasizing potency of tumors now becoming able to be defined by function of its genetic heterogeneity, developing metastasizing phenotypes respective neoplastic evolution by mutation, gene amplification, and epigenetic factors. On the other side having an unique xenobiotic metabolism metastasizing tumor cells are in accordance with the conception of their inherent "commonality".